Automatic boiler-feeder



(No Model.)

0. J. SCOTT.

v AUTOMATIC BOILER FEEDER.

No. 553,476. Z1 0 Patented Jan. 21, 1896.

fjmoemtoz ami l 'w eooeo 5 M .KQW

3513 anon 0W 2 3 AN DREW B GRMiAM PNO'TO-LI'NQWASHINGTDN. D C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ORLA J. SCOTT, OF FAIRMOUNT, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE SCOTT AUTO- MATICBOILER FEEDER 00., OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

AUTOMATIC BOILER-FEEDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,476, dated January21, 1896.

Application filed March 6, 1895' Serial NO. 540,715- (N0 model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ORLA J. SCOTT, of Fairmount, county of Grant, andState of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful AutomaticBoiler-Feeder; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to theaccompanying drawings, in which like figures refer to like parts.

My invention relates to an automatic boilerfeeder, and has for itsobject an improvement in the operation of such devices.

The essential feature of my invention consists in combining with aboiler-feeding device an automatic spraying device for injecting a sprayof water into the receiving-chamber to condense the steam when the wateris not flowing into it through the main supplypipe in order to quicklycreate a vacuum in such chamber and start the inflow of the fresh wateragain. This is effected by having such connection between the boiler ofthe engine and the spray-pipe that the back-pressure from the boilerwill automatically force water .through the spray-pipe whenever thepressure is less in the receiving-chamber than the boiler-pressure.

Another feature of my invention consists in providing automatic meansfor removing the water which collects within the float. I also have animproved arrangement for equalizing the pressure of steam on both sidesof the steam-valve. I also have a double-seated air-valve, which permitsthe escape of the air but prevents the escape of the water, inasmuch asthe valve would be carried by the flow of water against its upper seat.

All these features of my invention will be more fully understood fromthe accompanying drawings and the description and claims hereinafterfound.

Figure 1 shows a vertical section of my device. Fig. 2 is an elevationof it. Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line a: m, Fig. 1.

I provide a suitable chamber 1 formed by the casing 2. 3 is aninlet-pipe coming from the water supply, and entering the chamber 1preferably at the bottom and extending up within the chamber through theinternal pipe 4. The inlet-pipe 3 may enter at the top, thus omittingthe internal pipe. Below the chamber 1 is a float-chamber 5, containingthe float 6, secured to the arm 7, pivoted at 8 to the inward extension9 of the casin g. Through this arm 7 is a tube 10 that has an outletthrough the extension 9 and enters the float and curves down, extendingalmost to the bottom thereof. It is well known that moisture accumulateswithin a float and often requires it to be removed and emptied. Thepurpose of this tube just described is to automatically remove suchmoisture. hen the moisture condenses it will collect in a body in thelower part of the float about the mouth of the tube.

As the air within the float is periodically heated and expands, it willforce such water out through the tube 10 and thus keep the floatautomatically free of water. At the lower end of this float-chamber 5 Iprovide a small chamber 11 formed by the partition 12, which iscentrally provided with an aperture closed by a valve 13 supported bythe flat spring 14 secured to the side of the float-chamber 5 at 15. Thewater passes through the aperture in the partition 12, pressing down thevalve 13, and leaves the chamber through the pipe 16 in its passage tothe boiler.

When the water accumulates within the float-chamber 5 it will elevatethe float 6. Pivoted to the arm 7 not far from its pivotal point is anoscillating lever 17 centrally pivoted to the chamber-wall. To the otherend of this lever is pivoted the valve-stem 18 that extends up throughthe chambers 5 and 1 through the steam-valve 19 and has its upper end 20made conical in form to fit in and close the aperture 21. The valvestempasses through the steam-port in the diaphragm 22 at the upper end ofthe chamber 1 and passes loosely through the valve 19. The valve 19 ispushed downward by a coil-spring 23 and upward by the pressure of thewater when it has filled the chamber 1. When the float is elevated thevalve-stem 18 is depressed and the aperture 21 is not closed. when,however, the water has become low and the float 6 is depressed, thevalve-stem 18 rises and closes the aperture 21 above referred to, whenthe steam passing through the passageway 25 in the valve 19 into thechamber above such valve equalizes the pressure of steam upon both sidesof said valve, thus allowing the valve to be depressed downward by thespring 23 to close the steam-port through the diaphragm 22 and shut offthe steam. Ordinarily the passage-way 25 will not be needed, as thevalve 19 will not so tightly fit in its seat that it will not allow thepassage of sufficient steam around it into the chamber above. At thisstage there is some water in the lower chamber, 11, and as the steambeginsto condense immediately in the chamber 1 the pressure in thatchamber at once hecomes less than the boiler-pressure in the chamber 11below, thus causing the water to be forced up through the spray-pipe 26that leads into the upper chamber. By the introduction of this sprayinto the chamber 1 which is still charged with steam, the latter isquickly condensed, thus quickly creating a vacuum or partial vacuum inthe chamber 1, causing the water to be immediately drawn into thechamber through the supply-pipe It is apparent that unless a vacuum orpartial vacuum be created in the chamber 1 no water will enter thechamber through the pipe 3 and therefore the value and necessity of thespraying apparatus is seen, inasmuch as it not only creates a vacuumwithin the chamber 1 so as to admit the fresh water but does it quickly,thereby causing the device to work very rapidly. l'Vithout the sprayingdevice described, it would be impossible for the valve 19 to openautomatically, inasmuch as the ordinary leakage of steam through suchvalve on account of wear would prevent a decrease in the steampressurewithin the chamber 1. without some means of condensing steam thereinthat is more effective and rapid than the natural condensation, andunder such circumstances no water could enter through the pipe 3.

From a point somewhat below the upper end of the casing forming thechamber 1 I provide an air-valve 27, having a lower seat, 28, and anupper seat, 29. By this construction such air as may happen to haveentered the chamber 1 may escape, but the water cannot escape, becausethe valve would be carried by the water into engagement with the seat29. The valve 27 is elevated so as to engage the seat 29 by the pressureof the purpose in extending such air-valve from a point somewhat belowthe upper end of the chamber 1 is in order to prevent the total removalof the air as the chamber l'is filling, thus having an air-cushion atthe top of such chamber between the air and the steam, which willprevent condensation of the steam at that stage. After the chamber 1 hasbecome al most filled with water and the vacuum therein is so farsatisfied as to stop the inflow of water through the pipe 3 there willbe a slight additional inflow through the spray-pipe 26, which is underboiler-pressure, and that will force whatever air may have leaked intothe chamber 1 out through the air-valve. The opening through thespray-pipe 26 should be very small compared with the opening through theinlet-pipe 3, and I might add that a small quantity of water is beingforced through it from the time the steam is shut off by the valve 19until the valve opens again.

It is thus apparent that this boiler-feeding device is wholly automatic,since it is so constructed that it will perform all its functionswithout the assistance of the engineer. It further will appear that myconstruction, es pecially the spraying device and the means of actuatingit, is of the simplest kind, as it consists only in adding thespray-pipe 26.

lVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Let ers Patent,is

1. The combination of a boiler feeder having a receiving chamber and avalve closed lower chamber from which the outlet pipe leads an d a spraypipe leading from such lower chamber into such receiving chamber,substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

2. In a boiler feeder, the receiving chamber 2, the lower chamber 5provided with a partition 12 with an opening therein, the valve 13, theoutlet pipe 16, and the spray device 26, all combined and arrangedsubstantially as set forth.

3. In a boiler feeder, a receiving chamber, a diaphragm in the upper endhaving a port for the admission of steam, a valve to close such portprovided with means for admitting steam above it, a chambered seat forsuch valve having an aperture in its upper end leading to the outsideair, a coiled spring in such seat to actuate the valve, a float, and avalve stem actuated by the float and adapted to-be elevated and closethe aperture in the chambered valve seat by the lowering of the float.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day ofFebruary, 1895.

ORLA J. SCOTT. Vitnesses:

V. H. LOCKWOOD, G. G. CONNER.

IIO

